This disclosure relates in general to controlling replaceable units in a printing system, such as a digital printing apparatus. More specifically, the invention relates to a computerized method and system for identifying the specific imaging device in which the customer replaceable units is being used and to track proper usage of such customer replaceable units.
Many machines have replaceable sub-assemblies. These subassemblies may be arranged as unit called a cartridge, and if intended for replacement by the customer or machine owner, may be referred to as a customer replaceable unit (CRU). Examples of a CRU may include printer cartridge, toner cartridge, transfer assembly unit, photoconductive imaging unit, transfer roller, fuser or drum oil unit, and the like. It may be desirable for a CRU design to vary over the course of time due to manufacturing changes or to solve post-launch problems with the machine, the CRU, or a CRU and machine interaction. It is known to provide the CRU with a monitoring device commonly referred to as a CRUM (Customer Replaceable Unit Monitor). A CRUM is typically a memory device, such as a ROM, EEPROM, SRAM, or other suitable non-volatile memory device, provided in or on the cartridge. Information identifying the CRU is written on the EEPROM during manufacture of the CRUM. For example, information identifying a CRU as a developer cartridge and identifying the type of carrier, developer, and transfer mechanism contained in the developer cartridge may be written in the memory contained in the CRUM. When a CRU containing such a CRUM is installed in a machine, the machine's control unit reads the identifying information stored in the CRUM.
It is also important to ensure that CRUs (Customer Replaceable Units) are authentic and meet the original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) operational specifications. It is difficult to know after the CRUs leave the supplier whether it is being installed in a machine or being returned as an empty consumable. Actions such as reconfiguring or copying electronic chip based identification (CRUM ID) creates significant problems affecting not only the profits of the manufacturer but also legitimate resellers as well as entailing product functionality risks and reduced image quality for the customer.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for validating and tracking customer replaceable units.